Erez (crossing point into Israel) next?
With Egypt claiming they are going to re-close their border with Gaza by 3:00 this afternoon - about two hours from now - the 'Palestinians' are already planning the next target to which they wish to send their women and children: The Erez crossing point into Israel."The next time there is a crisis in the Gaza Strip, Israel will have to face half a million Palestinians who will march toward Erez," said Ahmed Youssef, a senior Hamas official. "This is not an imaginary scenario and many Palestinians would be prepared to sacrifice their lives."It's definitely not an imaginary scenario. In fact, it was often suggested to Yasser Arafat that he send hundreds of thousands of 'Palestinians' on a 'peaceful' march from Ramallah to Jerusalem to see what happens, but Arafat could never get into the 'non-violence' mode. Neither can Hamas. But as we saw in the video linked above (the first video) they have no hesitations about sending their women and children to be cannon fodder. And the odds of the Olmert-Barak-Livni government biting the bullet and responding with rubber bullets and tear gas to keep the 'Palestinians' out are not good.
In the meantime, there has been no change in the Egyptian attitude. The Egyptians plan to seal the border and leave it to Israel to supply Gaza. Unfortunately with the Olmert-Barak-Livni government in charge, we know who will blink first. Israel will continue to supply the 'Palestinians' with all of their basic needs, and will continue to be called - and looked upon by the world as - an 'occupier.'
The Egyptians have rejected the idea of Israel waiving responsibility for the Gaza Strip that was floated by Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i.Someone please remind me again why Arik Sharon's 'disengagement' was such a good idea? Ah, of course, it kept Fat Arik and his corrupt sons out of jail.
"The border will go back as normal," said Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki, adding that Cairo had not been approached by Israel about a possible change in the status of the Gaza Strip. "The current situation is only an exception and for temporary reasons," he said.
A Cairo-based Arab diplomat said the Egyptians were worried that Israel was trying to "export" the problem of the Gaza Strip to Egypt.
"The Egyptian regime does not want anything to do with the Gaza Strip," he said. "As far as the Egyptians are concerned, Israel remains the only party responsible for what happens there."
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:43 PM
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The Egyptians don't have the forces available to reseal the entire border with the Hamas jihadstan but that's not my main point today.
My main point is that like with with the Second Lebanon War, Israel keeps leaving the initiative in the hands of its enemies and its own bureaucracy works in a desultory fashion, leaving Israel's security position greatly weakened. Its like none of the lessons to which the Wingograd Commission attached so much importance to have been learned and implemented by the government. Of course, then there's the fact the same people - beginning with Ehud Olmert - who were responsible for the last policy failure and for the current policy failure, are still in office.
Whatever Hamas may or may not do at Eretz is not my main point today even though its an important one. Israel's government has no real plan to deal with all the security threats Israel faces, there is no coordinated means to address them and whatever Israel does do makes the country look simultaneously look like a bully and like a timid coward who can't inspire fear in the enemy.
Kadima of course as Israel's first Seinfeldian political party, has come to stand for nothing other than for the political survival of Olmert and the MKs under him. With the government of clowns Israel has in power, the only good news is things are not far worse than they should be. The bad news is that with the government's intention on staying in power whatever Winograd says next week, there will be no improvement in Israel's situation any time soon.
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